The President of the Arabian Gulf University participates in the meeting of presidents and directors of universities in cooperation countries

The President of the Arabian Gulf University, Dr. Saad bin Saud Al Fuhaid, participated in the twenty-eighth meeting of the Committee of Presidents and Directors of Universities and Higher Education Institutions in the Gulf Cooperation Council countries, held at Al-Jouf University in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, in the presence of the presidents and directors of Gulf universities, and with the participation of the General Secretariat of the Gulf Cooperation Council.

The meeting discussed a group of vital issues that are considered a priority for the process of higher education in the GCC countries. The results and recommendations of the twenty-fifth meeting of the Committee of Ministers of Higher Education and Scientific Research were reviewed, and the implementation of the recommendations issued by the twenty-seventh meeting of the Committee of University Presidents and Directors was followed up. The latest developments in the guide for evaluating and equivalency of academic certificates were also discussed, reflecting Gulf consensus in educational policies, and the efforts of the Future Skills Team, which is working to develop training programs that anticipate the skills needed for the future labor market, were reviewed.

The attendees appreciated the results of the “Gulf Cybersecurity Forum” organized by the State of Qatar last January, stressing the importance of continuing to hold such events. It has been decided that the University of Tabuk will host the next cybersecurity forum in 2026, while strengthening research and academic cooperation in the fields of cybersecurity and artificial intelligence, and developing curricula and training programs dedicated to that. The committee also discussed mechanisms for activating international cooperation with the aim of exchanging best practices and experiences and building strategic partnerships, and progress in implementing the initiative to enhance academic mobility among students and faculty members was reviewed.

The attendees stressed the importance of developing academic programs in specific specializations that are compatible with the needs of the current and future labor market. The technical team, consisting of several Gulf universities, reviewed the most prominent targeted specializations, most notably cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, and data science, with an emphasis on moving forward in developing the Gulf Information Base (Jisr).

In conjunction with the meeting, a scientific symposium was organized entitled “University Differentiation: Reality and Future Visions,” which discussed future transformations in higher education, the role of differentiation in global classifications, and the importance of innovation and digital transformation in supporting the position of Gulf universities.

At the conclusion of the meeting, a number of recommendations were adopted aiming to enhance Gulf integration in the fields of higher education and scientific research, to be submitted to the twenty-eighth meeting of the Committee of Presidents and Directors of Universities and Higher Education Institutions in the Gulf Cooperation Council countries, which is scheduled to be held on Tuesday, October 21, 2025, at Al-Jouf University.

A number of vice deans of Gulf universities participating in the meeting expressed their deep thanks and appreciation to Al-Jouf University for its distinguished hosting, praising the high-level organization they witnessed, good hospitality, and generous reception that reflected a bright image of the university and its employees. They also expressed their great happiness with the warm welcome they received from the University President, Professor Dr. Muhammad bin Abdullah Al-Shaya, stressing that this reflects the values ​​of authenticity and generosity that characterize Al-Jouf University and the region, and its constant keenness to make the Gulf events it hosts a success.